Culture of Cildania
St. Sebastian St. Origen St. Alexandra St. Sascaria |} The Culture of Cildania reflects various societies that have come into contact with Cildania throughout the centuries, including neighboring Majatran cultures. The basis of Cildanian culture is formed by the mixing of cultures of the ancient Hebilean tribes and the city-states of the Qedarites, as influenced by centuries of Cildanian history and most significantly, the Apostolic Church of the Isles. The basis of Cildanian culture is believed to stem from the ancient Cildanian Hegemony with the addition of numerous more recent elements. It also includes substantial influences from continental Majatran and Selucian cultures, along with those of recent immigrants. Important festivals include Saint Sebastian's Day, First Sunrise and Divine Kingdom Day. More esoteric and exotic celebrations are held in several of the larger centres and the regions retain strong traditions from before unification. The music and cuisine of Cildania are similar to that of other nations in Majatra, although both have some distinct Cildanian qualities. Briefly, Cildanian culture could be defined as a mix of indigenous Hebilean and Qildari cultures with a significant Selucian and Badaran Majatran adstratum. Overview Cildanian culture is distinctively cosmopolitan, as it encompasses various influences and is engrained with monuments which illustrate the various stages of its history. Cildanian food, music and customs overlap greatly with those of Badara, Kafuristan, Selucia, Beiteynu, Kalopia, Barmenia, and other Majatran countries. Cildania's cultural life dates to prehistoric times, as illustrated by pre-Hebilean rock carvings of the Cildanian Desert. The dawning era of Cildanian cultural history was shaped first by the Hebileans and then the Ancient Qedarites. In antiquity, Cildanian culture was also very much influenced by ancient Selucia and Kalopia. Lifestyle and Customs Cildanian lifestyle is relatively traditionalist, although younger generations are somewhat more liberal. Cities are, on the other hand, much more permissive. By comparison to most other Majatran capitals, Qildar is more westernized and more socially liberal. The city is more tolerant with regard to relations between men and women, and also with regard to homosexuality. In the field of marriage, partners may be selected by agreement between the family or an individual selection. Mothers often go in search of a bride for their son. Once a commitment is made it usually follows a series of visits between the two families, but disputes can lead to a rupture of the agreement. The wedding ceremony itself involves the passage of the bride to the house of her husband who waits outside. After consummation of the marriage it is followed by a period of isolation of the couple. The Cildanian household is based on the patriarchal model where the man is placed in the dominant role. Most households are based upon the model of the nuclear family within which the tasks are assigned according to age and sex and personal skills. Developments in education and employment, however, somewhat alleviated this situation. Cildania is also characterized by the existence of a popular culture of oral narratives and puppet shows. The narrator is highly respected and appreciated by both the elites and by the popular classes. Often itinerant, traveling from city to city on foot, they use a bendir, flute and some dolls as an accompaniment. Religion in Har Yafe before its destruction in 3870]] Religion in Cildania is a central feature of the country and plays a major role in shaping Cildanian culture and lifestyle, and religion has played a central role in Cildania's history. Although officially secular, the government provides for the free exercise of religions as they do not affect public order. The majority of Cildanians (almost 70%) belong to the Apostolic Church of the Isles, while significant minorities belong to the Yeudish and Ahmadi faiths, all of which have a long history and presence in the nation. Cuisine Cildanian cuisine is similar those of many countries in the Majatran Continent. The Cildanian national dishes are the tamli, a meat pie made from finely minced lamb and lakhma (cracked wheat), and the milha, a salad made from parsley, tomatoes, and lakhma. The most famous Cildanian dish is couscous (from Hebilean ⵙⴽⵙⵓ, seksu), a form of pasta of Hebilean origin made of semolina, which is cooked by steaming and rolled with the hands to form small pellets. Couscous is very similar and related to the Selucian hordeum, the Beiteynuese ptitim, and Majatran maftoul. The national beverage is araq, a strong anise-flavored liquor made from fermented grape juice. It is usually drunk with water and ice, which turns the clear liquid milky-white, and usually accompanies food. Cildanian restaurant meals begin with a wide array of mezze - small savoury dishes, such as dips, salads, and pastries. The mezze are typically followed by a selection of grilled meats and/or fish. In general, meals are finished with coffee and fresh fruit, though sometimes a selection of traditional sweets will be offered as well. Marak, a thick stew of onions, rice and lentils, is sometimes considered poor man's fare and is often eaten around Lent by people in the Cildanian diaspora. Dress Cildanian clothing exhibits a wide variety, highlighting the region's multicultural character and the blend of various cultural influences that characterizes Cildania as a whole. Traditional Cildanian clothing shows a close similarity to the clothing styles of both Selucia and Badara. The traditional dress of Cildania consists of a long and loose gown along with the trouser for the lower body. Cildanians also use a cloak (known as holi or ksa) to cover their bodies and use the traditional cap (known as fez) on their heads. The "Holi" or "Ksa", colloquially known as the "Cildanian Toga" is the most distinguishing item of traditional Cildanian clothing, and it bears a close resemblance to the Selucian toga, to which it is related, especially the toga candida (purely white) variety. Although clothing styles are to some extent influenced by religion, in Cildanian society women do not traditionally wear the veil, not even Ahmadis, whereas men sometimes do. Hebileans have a number of distinguishing features, most notable being the tagelmust, an indigo dyed cotton garment with the appearance of both a veil and a turban; the tagelmust is worn only by adult males, and is only taken off in the presence of close family. This is because Hebilean men often find shame in showing their mouth or nose to strangers or people of a higher standing than themselves. In the cities Cildanians, especially the youth, typically wear Western clothing, or a mix of Western and traditional dress. The resurgence of Cildanian culture after the chaos of the Civil War led to renewed interest in traditional clothing including in urban environments, resulting in modernly designed costumes that are a blend of the traditional and Western styles. Arts Most of the country's older art came from the influences of countries around the Majatran Sea. Cildanian artists are known for their mosaics and pottery. Their mosaics use a variety of colors in repetitive patterns to adorn walls and floors by depicting a story or person. Mosaics are often used in architecture by implementing the use of geometric shapes and accenting with gold. Though, the displays of some artwork can be seen on buildings and architecture, one could find many sources of art in one place. The majority of Cildanian art and architecture takes its inspiration from the Department. Music Music in Cildania has a long and varied tradition. Local and traditional music are highly popular, as are Western melodies. Traditional Cildanian folk music will typically have a dominant violin or string sound as well as various percussion elements. In the olden days, before tiled roofs were installed on Cildanian homes, their flat roofs were made of tree branches that were covered with mud. When the change of seasons came, especially winter, the mud would crack and start to leak and would need to be fixed. The owner of the house would call his neighbors for help, and the neighbors would gather up on the roof. They would hold hands, form a line and start stomping their feet while walking on the roof in order to adjust the mud. After a while, this custom came to be known as mayim, a form of improvised singing and dancing. As time passed, the mayim dance came to be known as one of Cildania's most famous traditions. Today the mayim is performed in every Cildanian household. Also, Cildania was one of the earliest centers of Hosian hymnody, in a repertory known as Cildanian chant, which continues to be the liturgical music of the Department. There was formerly a distinctive tradition of Cildanian Yeudish religious music which developed out of the Cildanian Chant. Film Cildanian cinema is today recognized as one of the most liberal, most inventive (and one of the most prize-winning) cinemas of the Majatran world. Cinema has been present in Cildania since the 20th century. In 1919, the first feature-length movie produced on the Majatran continent: Mehshib Quot (The Accountant) was filmed in Cildania. In 1966, the first feature Cildanian film (95 minutes) HaAb HaMullas (The Translator's Father) was directed and produced by Admago Agbal; it was shot on a 35 mm film. Literature Sports The most internationally popular sport is the ʾAbbir-Qashat, a native martial art. Abir literally means "Knight", while "Qashat" means "bow, arch". Abbir-Qashat is described as "Alf-Bet Fighting", whereby practitioners learn to assume the forms of the twenty-two letters of the ancient Qedarite alphabet. However in Cildania, imperial chess, soccer and competitive stage magic rule at the sporting heart of the nation. Imperial Chess differs from foreign Chess by having a pentagonial board and different pieces in the second row, the king is replaced by the Emperor, who moves like a traditional rook, and the Queen by the Patriarch, who moves as a traditional knight and the other six are the Four Princes each with its own unique rules and the two bishops. Other sports popular in Cildania are Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, and, quite importantly, Chess. National symbols A number of specifically Cildanian symbols have gained prominence and became associated with the Cildanian people and state. Most famous among these are the Star of Ishtart, the Cildanian Raven, and the Talat Symbol. The Star of Ishtart is an ancient Qedarite religious symbol associated with the Qedarite goddess Ishtart, the goddess of the morning star, fertility, love, and sexuality. Due to the presence of the goddess in virtually all Qedarite mythologies, the Star became a pan-Qedarite symbol in modern times, and as such it featured on the Cildanian flag under the pan-Qedarite Phalangite regime. In time, partially due to the decline of pan-Qedarism, the symbol became associated more with Cildanian rather than Qedarite nationalism, although it also became a symbol of Qildari supremacy. After the reunification of Cildania in May 3956, the nation adopted another ancient symbol to emphasize its move away from Qildari dominance towards a more inclusive national identity. The Symbol of Talat is a simplified graphic representation of ancient Cildanian moon goddess Talat, the national goddess of the Cildanian Hegemony. The goddess did not feature in other Qedarite mythologies, as her worship (and name) are of ancient Hebilean origin, and as such her symbol was adopted as a way to represent the antiquity of Qildari-Hebilean cultural interaction as well as a throwback to the ancient glory of the Qedarite Empire, seen as the foundation of the Cildanian nation. The Cildanian Raven, also known as the Brown-Necked Raven is the national animal of Cildania. Closely related to the common raven, the Cildanian raven is somewhat smaller, and its head and throat have a distinct brownish-black color. The Cildanian raven is found throughout Cildania, Badara, Kafuristan, and parts of South Majatra, and it lives predominantly in deserts and oases. Due to its predominantly carrion-based diet, the raven has acquired a mythic status as an intermediary between life and death and between the natural and supernatural worlds. The raven features prominently in Cildanian mythology and folklore, where it came to be a symbol of good luck and the god's messenger in the mortal world. Category:Cildania